Chennai DCP brings awareness on girl safety

Chennai: T Nagar police has taken up awareness programmes among girl students with regard to safety aspects.

"Four women inspectors have been assigned and are visiting schools in the area," said newly-appointed Deputy Commissioner of Police, T Nagar District, P Aravindhan.

He took charge, replacing P Saravanan, who has been transferred to Mylapore.

Aravindhan had earlier worked as Deputy Commissioner of Police, Chennai City Traffic South. met the top official at his office in T Nagar, where he briefed about his plans for the locality.

Aravindhan said the women inspectors have already visited three government schools and briefed the girl students about the good and bad touch, sexual harrasment, how to overcome eve-teaching and helpline numbers for their rescue. "As of now, we are focusing on government schools and later would extend to private institutions," he said.

As encroachments are posing a major problem in T Nagar, the DCP said steps would be taken to remove them. "When it comes to traffic, plans are on to decongest vehicle flow on South Usman Road," he said.

Stating that the WhatsApp group initiated by police in some localities has been successful with residents' cooperation, he said it would be implemented in T Nagar also. Senior officials including DCP would be members in it, where residents can have direct interaction, he added.

To get closer to the residents, especially seniors, the police will conduct regular meetings with them, which the DCP and ACP would attend. Short films would be screened to them on how crime incidents happens and to overcome it, he said.

He further said the residents can feel more comfortable to air their grievances with the police, where separate timings have been allotted at stations. Inspectors and Sub Inspectors will be present at the stations from 11 am to 12.30 pm and 8 pm to 9.30 pm, to collect the complaints, he said.

The DCP also stressed on community policing, where the relationship between residents and police will get closer. "We are approaching school, college students to make them assist police during temple festivals and to regulate traffic. As they grow up, their attitude towards police will change and it would make us to win their confidence," he said.

A native of Nevyeli, Aravindhan did engineering at BITS Pilani and belongs to 2010 IPS batch. He can be reached at 9498144544.